Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2001 08:50:59 -0400 From: Bill Cherry "FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS" ...Dimmer and Dimmer 9/6/01 For generations from every big city to every small town in America, Friday nights in the Fall have belonged to the high schools. No more as the NCAA in its greed has allowed college football in Friday nights. This week there will have been college games on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Boards of Education do not provide money to purchase helmets and shoulder pads. All the necessary equipment to outfit a high school team is paid for out of gate receipts. At some high schools, the players have to pay to play as gate receipts at their schools will not cover these necessary costs. In many small communities, football will become a thing of the past. If the school does not generate the gate, then programs are discontinued. You would think that the NCAA and college coaches would be doing all they can to help high school football. After all where do the college players come from? Not so. With the escalating football/basketball arms war going on among the biggest college programs, it is everyone for themselves. Every college coach wants to be the next to knock down a million + salary. They all want to sign the big shoe contact. SHOW ME THE MONEY and I will play anytime, anywhere the TV boys want me to. Sorry little high school boys. You just don't know what its really like in the "Big Time". I had an area rep from Adidas walk into my office a couple of weeks ago (I am a prep school AD) with an offer to provide 40% off on his shoes if we would agree to put all our teams in Adidas. This meant we would still pay $60+ for his mid-range football line. I asked him how much the University of Tennessee (with over $30million in revenues) pays for their Adidas football shoes. "Oh, we give them shoes in order to get the TV exposure". Also each UT coach gets $2000 in Adidas stuff of his choice. I was glad to learn that he was giving my school the opportunity to help pay for the shoes the big orange boys wear. I asked him to leave. Bill Cherry Director of Athletics McCallie School 500 Dodds Ave. Chattanooga, TN 37404 (423)493-5539 FAX (423)493-5578